The reputation of a renowned wildlife charity is at stake after almost 40 trees were 'culled in one destructive act' at an exclusive golf club.
The RSPB successfully applied to have 36 pine trees that had stood on the site at Parkstone Golf Club in Poole for more than 60 years axed.
And after the application was made to the Forestry Commission the trees were felled even though they were subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO).
Before: The view of the trees from the garden of a row of £1million homes before they were felled offered privacy from golfers
After: 36 trees on the exclusive Parkstone Golf Club in Poole that had stood on the site for more than 60 years were axed
The exclusive golf club, whose members include Harry Redknapp and Women's British Open champion Georgia Hall, asked the RSPB to apply for the felling licence last year as part of the charity's wider work of creating heathland around Poole Harbour.
But local outrage has since prompted Poole Borough Council to launch a criminal investigation into the felling.
Residents whose £1m homes back on to the course have questioned why the charity whose objective is to protect bird life and its habitat has played a part is the 'destruction of it.'
The row of £1million homes (left) look across the pond onto the exclusive golf club where a row of pine trees (right) blocked residents from the view of golfers using the course
Part of the probe will focus on whether the RSPB was aware the pine trees were subjected to Tree Preservation Orders when it made the application on behalf of the golf club to the Forestry Commission.
After securing permission, the mature pine trees that stood next to a lake by the first green of the £1,700 a year course were quickly axed.
Local residents said they have now lost their privacy as it is possible for golfers to look into their homes.
One homeowner, Peter Norrie, 61, claims the loss has led to the value of
